The invention relates to accessories to firearms, particularly such accessories as will assist a marksman in the loading in an ammunition loading bearing magazine with ammunition.
Many small arms, including both rifles and handguns, are in the category known as magazine or clip fed. In these firearms, ammunition is placed into an elongated, generally rectangular cross-sectioned container known as a magazine or clip which is then fitted into a portion of the firearm approximate to the firing chamber. The magazine or clip is closed on five sides and open on a rectangular shaped end. Such magazines or clips are spring loaded and further adapted with retaining members over the open end. Ammunition is then slipped into the open end of the magazine, piece by piece, and each piece slips past the retaining member to be held until used. As the magazine is being loaded each succeeding round of ammunition compresses the spring further and becomes harder to insert.
When the magazine is fully loaded it is fitted into a position adjacent to or fitted against the firing chamber of the weapon. Normally a bolt is used to extract a round and force it into the firing chamber. As each round is fired the bolt is forced back, picks up the next round, and forces the next round into the firing chamber. The force of the spring pushes each round up into a position of the magazine where the bolt can push it into the firing chamber.
It can readily be seen that the task of loading successive rounds of ammunition into a magazine is one which requires some care and manual dexterity. This is particularly true on cold days when a person's fingers are numb, or are enclosed in a glove or mitten, in a situation (such as military combat) when speed in reloading may be of the essence.
A number of devices exists which are adapted to assist the marksman in accomplishing this task. In particular U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,645 issued to Kelsey on May 8, 1984, U S. Pat. No. 4,413,437 issued to Anderson on Nov. 8, 1983, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,002 issued to Musgrave, on June 5, 1984, describe various forms of magazines which are adapted for easy loading. Each of these inventions is designed to provide a more satisfactory form of ammunition magazine or clip but do not realistically solve the problems encountered by fitting a round of ammunition into the magazine or cartridge opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,855, issued to Musgrave on Aug. 14, 1984, teaches a device somewhat useful in solving the above described problem. It teaches a slidably attached apparatus which is adapted with a pulling handle and a protrusion which is adapted to push a round of ammunition down into the magazine for insertion of the next round. After each successive round of ammunition is loaded into the magazine the apparatus must be removed from the magazine and reinserted for the next round. While it does facilitate in solving this problem, the requirement of removal and reinsertion makes its use somewhat tedious.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,909, issued to Howard on Sept. 1, 1987, teaches a device which can he fitted over an ammunition magazine. It is adapted with a spring loaded plunger which, when the device is fitted over the magazine and somehow held in place, is used to push the uppermost round down into the magazine to facilitate sliding in the next round. Then the plunger, which is spring loaded, is depressed and the cartridge is fitted all the way into the back of the magazine. Howard is also somewhat helpful, but difficulties may be encountered in holding the device in place against the magazine. It should also be noted that both Howard and Musgrave are, because of their structure, primarily useful only in magazines over a narrow range of sizes.
What is missing in the prior art is such a device which can be used on a variety of magazine sizes and types, which permits the plunging task to be repeatedly and continuously performed with one hand, and which comprises no moving parts.